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    The Island:Brave Heart

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LucyB (47 KP) rated The Good People in Books

Jul 23, 2017  
The Good People
The Good People
Hannah Kent | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Superb writing style, wonderful exploration of superstition (0 more)
An engrossing exploration of rural Ireland and folklore.
The Good People gets off to a gripping start. A man is found dead and his wife (Nora) is left alone, with the burden of caring for her dead daughter's child, who happens to be heavily disabled.

From early on, the clash between ancient superstition and Catholic values is established. Nance, the local healing woman, is called upon for funeral 'keening' and resolving various medical problems. However, the village is divided - and people are starting to turn against her.

Nora hires a girl, Mary, to assist with looking after her grandson, who she can scarcely bear to be around. As time passes, Nora becomes convinced that the child is a 'changeling' and together with Nance, goes to drastic measures to expel the fairy from their lives.

I'd read Burial Rites a while back, so was familiar with Kent's style of writing, which is wonderfully authentic, well-paced and engrossing. However, The Good People felt quite different - almost like a theatrical script, with strong dialogue and excellent characterisation throughout.

It was also ambiguous, and throughout, I felt my sympathies flit from character to character. Although the book concluded with a murder, the nasty deed raised lots of questions - namely who exactly was to blame?

A very enjoyable read (I got through it in about three days, which shows how good it was) - I'd definitely recommend.
  
    Milkmaid of the Milky Way

    Milkmaid of the Milky Way

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The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
Olivia Laing | 2017 | Biography
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hauntingly poignant, such a great exploration into loneliness
Such a fabulously enticing book exploring the 1970's and 1980's New York scene while revealing the writer's own issues of dealing with loneliness. From the introvert but flamboyant Andy Warhol, to the artist David Wojnarowicz's AIDS activism, Olivia Laing brings to light the spaces between people and the things that draw them together.

The chapters on painter Edward Hopper and Henry Darger are particularly poignant, especially as Darger was practically invisible, and only known after his death as his paintings were discovered in his accommodation. The author's own story remains mysterious. The book epitomises loneliness, despite the bright lights of the big city.
  
AW
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The first in a historical mystery series set during the US Exploration Expedition of the early 1800's. Wiki Coffin, half New Zealander half American, is hired to be a linguist. But the night before they sail, Wiki finds a boat with a dead body inside. The woman was murdered, and there is reason to believe that the killer is with the expedition, especially when another body turns up. The historic details slowed the book down at times, but on the whole I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the trip back in time.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-watery-grave-by-joan-druett.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.